Country diary: I've become a taxi service for the ladybirds | Charlie Elder

West Dartmoor, Devon: They must have got into my house last autumn, and now they're emerging in a wonderful variety of markings and spot numbersLadybird, ladybird, fly away home? Only, it seems they have all flown into mine. Every morning I come across several on the inside of the windows, like droplets of nail varnish motoring around on tiny legs.These spotty beetles could drive me dotty. Some days I release half a dozen outside, making numerous trips to the back door, cupping them in my palm like dice. And while their joyful polka dot patterns have a nursery school simplicity about them, identifying ladybirds is far from straightforward. The variety of colouring and markings, even among the same species, means that one cannot always rely on simply counting the spots. Continue reading...